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Abstract:

A method in a parking system for supporting parking using a longitudinal
guidance and a transverse guidance, and to such a parking system. The
method includes: calculating a parking trajectory having at least one
stopping point; detecting, independently of the driver's actions, that
the calculated stopping point has been reached; and, in reaction to the
detection, providing a signal for a steering change for a steering
controller. On a time axis there consequently takes place an initiation
of a steering change in time period before a time at which the driver
changes gear and independently of it.

Claims:

1-9. (canceled)

10. A method in a parking system for supporting parking using a
longitudinal guidance and a transverse guidance, comprising: calculating
a parking trajectory having at least one stopping point; detecting that
the calculated stopping point has been reached, independently of driver
actions; and providing a signal for a steering change for a steering
controller in response to the detection.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the parking trajectory
includes an automatically guided move at least one of directly before and
directly after the stopping point.

12. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the parking trajectory
includes a plurality of stopping points and after each detection of one
of the plurality of stopping points, a corresponding signal is provided
for the steering change.

13. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the detecting takes place
at least one of: i) independently of a driver-initiated gear change, and
ii) independently of an operation by the driver that relates to the
parking system.

14. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the signal for a steering
change is provided before a driver-initiated gear change.

15. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the signal for the
steering change relates to a steering change at a standstill.

16. A computer readable storage medium storing a program for a parking
system for supporting parking using a longitudinal guidance and a
transverse guidance, the program, when executed by a processor, causing
the processor to perform the steps of: calculating a parking trajectory
having at least one stopping point; detecting that the calculated
stopping point has been reached, independently of driver actions; and
providing a signal for a steering change for a steering controller in
response to the detection.

17. A machine-readable data carrier on which instructions for carrying
out a method for a parking system for supporting parking using a
longitudinal guidance and a transverse guidance, the instructions, when
executed by a computer device, causing the computer device to perform the
steps of: calculating a parking trajectory having at least one stopping
point; detecting that the calculated stopping point has been reached,
independently of driver actions; and providing a signal for a steering
change for a steering controller in response to the detection.

18. A system for supporting parking using a longitudinal guidance and a
transverse guidance, comprising: a component configured to calculate a
parking trajectory having at least one stopping point; a component
configured to detect that the calculated stopping point has been reached,
independently of driver actions; and a component configured to provide a
signal for a steering change for a steering controller, in response to
the detection.

Description:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for supporting parking
using a longitudinal guidance and a transverse guidance in a parking
system, and such a parking system.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

[0002] A parking system (or a parking assistant) supports the driver
during parking. For example, while passing a parking space, the latter is
measured, and subsequently the driver is guided to the parking space by
instructions. Guiding him into the parking space may take place in a
passive form, in this instance, i.e., the driver has transmitted to him
steering angle specifications as well driveaway commands and stopping
commands. However, the parking assistant is also able to take over the
parking actively, the driver only receiving driveaway and stopping
specifications, and guidance being performed at least partially
automatically by the system. In longitudinal guidance, the braking system
and the driving system of the vehicle are actuated automatically. In
transverse guidance, a steering controller is activated automatically by
the parking assistant.

[0003] Whereas up to now, predominantly passive or partially automatic
parking systems have been available, which either take over only a
longitudinal guidance or only a transverse guidance, it may be expected
that, in the future, parking systems having longitudinal guidance and
transverse guidance will be available.

[0004] A parking maneuver is usually based on a calculated parking
trajectory having at least one stopping point, at which a traction change
(backwards->forwards, or forwards->backwards) and a steering change
are required. Conventionally, for systems having pure transverse
guidance, a steering change is triggered by a gear change by the driver,
as is necessary in response to a directional change between two moves.
The time sequence is illustrated in FIG. 1. Point 102 marks the reaching
of a stopping point on time axis 100. After the driver has registered
that the stopping point has been reached, at time 104 he makes a gear
change. This is detected by the parking system, and in time period 106 an
automatic steering change is carried out by the parking system.
Consequently, at time 108 the vehicle is ready for the next move.

[0005] There exists a general need for holding the time required for a
parking maneuver to as brief as possible. Thus, longitudinal as well as
transverse maneuvers frequently represent interference for other traffic
participants, by blocking one lane or by requiring swinging out onto
another lane. Such interferences should be held to a minimum.

[0006] With respect to the retention time shown in FIG. 1 at a stopping
point, it should be noted that many drivers become impatient in this
connection, because during an assisted steering change the driver has
nothing to do at this moment. Because of this, the retention time at the
stopping point also becomes longer in subjective perception. This
perception becomes reinforced correspondingly in response to parking
maneuvers having a plurality of stopping points.

[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 6,059,063 describes an automatic steering system for
a vehicle is described. The vehicle is stopped at a starting position.
The driver operates a knob to select a certain parking mode. Then the
control system controls a drive and steering, in order to set a specified
standard steering angle. Then the vehicle is guided to a targeted parking
position according to a specified standard parking maneuver.

SUMMARY

[0008] It is one object of the present invention to provide a method in a
parking system for supporting parking having longitudinal and transverse
guidance, as well as providing such a system in which the retention time
at a stopping point is minimized.

[0009] The present invention provides an example method for supporting a
parking system using a longitudinal guidance and a transverse guidance,
having the following steps: calculating a parking trajectory having at
least one stopping point; detecting, independently of the driver's
actions, that the calculated stopping point has been reached; and, in
reaction to the detection, providing a signal for a steering change for a
steering controller.

[0010] In accordance with the present invention, among other things, at
least in a parking system having longitudinal guidance, the retention
time at the stopping point is able to be minimized in a simple way. Such
a system makes possible the detection that a calculated stopping point
has been reached, based on sensor values that are recorded anyway, for
instance, for planning the parking trajectory or for other driver
assistance systems. The sensor data may relate to an environment of the
vehicle, for example, a state of one or more wheels, of the braking
system and/or of a drive of the vehicle.

[0011] The detection of a driver-initiated gear change thereby becomes
just as superfluous as the detection of any other actions of the driver,
such as an operation of the driver relating to the parking system, such
as pressing a mechanical button or a soft key on a display, or an
acoustical input by which a driver has to initiate a parking maneuver
and/or a steering change in a usual system.

[0012] As may be seen in FIG. 1, the retention time at the stopping point
is also made up in part of the reaction time which the driver needs in
order to detect that the stopping point has been reached. In the present
invention, since an action on the part of the driver does not have to be
waited for, the retention time at the stopping point becomes shorter by
this reaction time of the driver. All in all, an objectively as well as
subjectively clear shortening of the time may be reached that the vehicle
is retained at the stopping point.

[0013] Since the system does without the detection of driver actions, the
parking system according to the present invention becomes simpler in
comparison with conventional systems.

[0014] One parking trajectory is able to include a plurality of stopping
points. After each recording of one of the plurality of stopping points,
a signal for a steering change is able to be provided respectively. The
advantages of the present invention become greater the more automatically
guided moves a parking maneuver has, since the overall duration of the
parking maneuver is reduced correspondingly.

[0015] The parking trajectory may include an automatically guided move
directly before and/or directly after the stopping point. If, for
example, the stopping point is located in the middle of a precalculated
parking trajectory, the parking system is directly able to detect whether
the precalculated stopping point has been reached, and may begin,
directly after a steering change that has taken place, with the
initiation of the next move, which minimizes the retention time at the
stopping point once more.

[0016] The signal for a steering change may be provided, in particular,
before a driver-initiated gear change or another action of the driver. If
the driver carries out a gear change while the steering change is being
executed, the retention time at the stopping point becomes shorter. In
particular, the time subjectively spent at the stopping point also
becomes shorter for the driver.

[0017] The signal for the steering change may refer to a steering change
at standstill. This achieves a more robust, i.e., more reliable and
simpler response of the parking system, on which the driver may also
subjectively have more reliance.

[0018] Furthermore, in accordance with the present invention, a computer
program for implementing one of the example methods described here is
provided, if the computer program is run on a programmable computer
device. This device may be a programmable microprocessor, for example, an
application-specific, integrated circuit and/or a digital signal
processor having an associated memory, which is installed in a vehicle.
At least parts of a computer program may be stored in the form of
following instructions on a machine-readable data carrier, such as a
permanent or rewritable memory in or in association with a programmable
computer device, or a removable CD-ROM, DVD or a USB stick. Additionally
or alternatively the computer may also be provided for downloading on a
programmable computer device, for instance, via a data network such as
the Internet or a communications connection such as a telephone
connection or a wireless connection.

[0019] Moreover, in accordance with the present invention, an example
system is provided for supporting parking, having a longitudinal guidance
and a transverse guidance, which has the following components: a
component for calculating a parking trajectory having at least one
stopping point; a component for detecting, independently of actions of
the driver, that the calculated stopping point has been reached, and a
component for providing, in reaction to the detection, a signal for a
steering change for a steering controller. The system may be a parking
system, for example, which is integrated into a driver-assistance system
for a vehicle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will now
be described in greater detail, with reference to the figures.

[0021] FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of a retention duration at a
stopping point in a conventional parking system.

[0022]FIG. 2 shows functional components of a parking system according to
an example embodiment of the present invention, in the form of a block
diagram.

[0023]FIG. 3 shows a manner of operating the parking system of FIG. 2 in
the form of a flow chart.

[0024]FIG. 4 shows a parking trajectory for further illustrating the
manner of operating the parking system of FIG. 2, in a schematic form.

[0025]FIG. 5 shows an illustration of the retention time at a stopping
point in the parking system of FIG. 2 according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

[0026]FIG. 2 shows an exemplified embodiment 200 of a parking system
according to the present invention, having a calculation device 202, a
detection device 204 and a providing device 206. A manner of operation of
system 200 will now be described with reference to flow chart 300 shown
in FIG. 3, a sketched exemplary parking trajectory 400 sketched in FIG. 4
and a sequence over time shown in FIG. 5. System 200 is basically used
for supporting parking using a longitudinal guidance and a transverse
guidance 302

[0027] According to the situation indicated in FIG. 4, between two objects
402 and 404, that border on a parking space, there is located a parking
space 406, in which a vehicle, not shown any further, is parking along
trajectory 400. Trajectory 400 includes stopping points 408, 410 and 412,
at least at points 408 and 410 steering changes having to be made. As of
point 408, at the latest, parking system 200 takes over the longitudinal
guidance and the transverse guidance of the vehicle, so that the vehicle
is guided automatically along moves 414 and 416. We shall now
particularly go into the manner of operation of system 200 in the
surroundings of stopping point and steering change point 410.

[0028] In step 304, calculation device 202 calculates parking trajectory
400 using at least the moves 414 and 416, as well as stopping points 408
(parking assistant 200 is able to be activated at this point, for
example), steering change point 410 and stopping point 412. For this
purpose, calculation device 202 may, for instance, resort to sensor data,
such as of an ultrasonic sensor 208 indicated schematically in FIG. 2,
which represent the environment of the vehicle.

[0029] After the activation of the parking system and the calculation of
trajectory 400, the vehicle is guided into parking space 406 by parking
system 200 along move 414 (for instance, backwards). In step 306,
detection device 204 detects that calculated stopping point 410 has been
reached. For this purpose, device 204 may resort, for instance, to wheel
sensors 210, indicated schematically in FIG. 2, so as to detect a
standstill of the vehicle, for example. Additional sensor data, for
instance, from environmental sensor 208 and/or from sensors which detect,
for example, the state of a braking system or a drive system, are also
able to be processed in device 204.

[0030] When stopping point 410 is reached, the driver carries out at least
one action, namely the operation of a gear lever 212, in order to
undertake a gear change, such as to a forwards gear, at stopping point
410. Additional driver actions at stopping point 410 may include, for
instance, according to conventional systems, operating a button, a key or
a soft key on a display screen 214, for example, for controlling the
parking system or other (driver assistance) systems present in the
vehicle. Detection device 204, however, detects the reaching of stopping
point 410 independently of such or any other actions of the driver, i.e.
detecting driver actions no longer takes place.

[0031] In step 308, which follows directly step 306, providing device 206
is actuated by detection device 204, to emit a signal 216 to a steering
controller 218 of the vehicle, so that steering controller 218 carries
out a steering change of steering 220 in preparation for next move 416.
Method 300 ends with step 310.

[0032] A time sequence during the retention time of the vehicle at
stopping point 410 is shown in FIG. 5. For the sake of comparability,
this representation has been selected to be analogous to that in FIG. 1.
On a time axis 500, point 502 designates the time of reaching stopping
point 410. At this point in time, step 306 is running (detecting the
reaching of stopping point 410 and directly thereafter step 308 (signal
emission to steering controller 218), so that change in steering 220 in
time period 504 takes place immediately following the reaching of
stopping point 502. During the change in steering in time period 504, the
driver is able to carry out a gear change approximately at time 506, this
gear change not having an effect on the way of operating of parking
system 200 in steps 306 and 308. At time 508 the change in steering is
finished and the vehicle is ready for next move 416.

[0033] As may be inferred directly from a comparison of FIG. 5 to FIG. 1,
the parking maneuver is speeded up by parking system 200 working
according to the present invention, since automatic parking system 200 no
longer has to wait for the gear change by the driver, but initiates the
steering change directly after the reaching of the stopping point. During
the steering change, if the driver changes gear, the vehicle is ready for
the next move directly after the ending of the change in steering. Since
a parking system having longitudinal guidance already has a sensor system
for monitoring the guidance along a parking trajectory, in this instance,
the present invention makes possible the speeding up of a parking
maneuver, in a surprisingly simple manner.

[0034] An additional advantage may be seen as the subjective shortening,
to the driver, of the waiting time during the change in steering. He can
change gear during the change in steering, and consequently does not have
to wait idly for the end of the steering change process.

[0035] The advantages described above have a correspondingly greater
effect in parking trajectories that have a plurality of stopping and/or
steering change points. While referring again to the exemplary embodiment
represented in FIGS. 2-5, we point out that parking system 200, developed
according to the present invention, is also able to control a steering
change at points 408 and 412, even when, as in this case, the delivering
move does not take place automatically (408) or no further move takes
place after stopping point 412 is reached. At point 408, parking system
200 is able to align the steering for move 414, as soon as after the
activation of the parking system a parking trajectory has been
calculated, without having to wait for the engaging of the reverse gear
by the driver. Rather, the driver could take the beginning steering
change of the wheels as an incentive to engage the reverse gear, so that
in this case, too, a sequence as sketched in FIG. 5 would come about. The
alignment of the wheels in stopping point 412, into a specified standard
position may be regarded as a convenience feature of a parking assistant.

[0036] The present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments
described above and the aspects emphasized therein; rather, a plurality
of modifications are possible, that are within the scope of action of one
skilled in the art, within the present field.